Ten Flavor Death
by alienchrist
Summary: 10 drabbles exploring different possibilities of death and loss for the Sanzo Party.


**1. Leftovers**

The tears start when Hakkai is chopping onions. Normally, he chills the onions beforehand and avoids cutting off the root, but he's grown forgetful with cooking. Sometimes he even burns food. Not that Goku blames him. He ends his game with Jeep, jumps up to rub Hakkai on his back and shoulder.

"I bought too much," Hakkai trembles. "There will be leftovers."

"Don't worry! I'll eat twice as much!"

"Three times as much."

"Hey! My math's not that bad! Stop foolin'!" Too bright a joke, trying too hard. No one's here to mute the energy with a paper fan. It stings.

"I've lost my appetite."

****

2. Some Say The World Will End In Fire

"He didn't have to do that!" Gojyo would say it's the smoke that has his eyes stinging. He's shouting himself raw to be heard over roaring flames. "And those two, they didn't have to follow him! Damn it!"

Hakkai holds him back before he even lunges forward. Gojyo fights him anyway, though Hakkai uses his schoolteacher voice. "Gojyo, no."

"Sorry about your brother, Gojyo," says Goku, always appropriate.

"There's still time, goddamn it! Hakkai, please!"

"Quit it, kappa," Sanzo grumbles, turning to walk away. "They made their choice."

"They didn't have to." This time, a whimper.

Goku's eyes mirror the blaze. "...I think they kinda did."

****

3. Marble House

Sanzo wanders alone in a statuary of frozen youkai. If he walks softly enough, his footsteps are swallowed by the lifeless castle. He finds the three idiots by the door, sealed away like all the others.

"Tch," he says to absolutely no one. "Finally, some fucking peace and quiet."

He sits down cross-legged and smokes a cigarette. He finishes the pack and throws it far as he can into the palace, listening to its papery, echoing bounce. After a long moment, he rises to his feet and stretches.

"You bastards are really starting to piss me off."

For once, his friends make no reply.

****

4. That's Gonna Stain

"If not for all the blood, he would just look like he's sleeping," Hakkai remarks with a sad shake of his head. He looks over to Gojyo like he can't believe it.

"Yeah, except he's not gonna wake up and start complaining," Gojyo replies, scuffing his boot and muttering. "Jackass."

In the distance, the Seiten Taisei howls as lopes closer.

"How very like him to expect us to clean up his messes," Hakkai remarks mildly.

"What a stuck up guy," Gojyo agrees, grinning wickedly. "Like he knew he was too pretty to live."

Hakkai hands him his limiters, saying, "Dirty rags are far sturdier."

****

5. Fold

Either Sanzo is getting good at cards, or Gojyo is off his game. Gojyo suspects the latter.

They eat less now, but smoke a pack a day each and drink whiskey instead of beer. They are adept at surviving with stomachs stuck to spine and teeth bared to grimace.

"Tch," Sanzo says, throwing his cards down in disgust. "You'd better not be throwing the game out of pity."

"The hell would I pity you for? 'Cept your shitty attitude."

Sanzo reaches for his fan, doesn't draw it out. Instead, he skulks off to stare out the window.

Gojyo lights his cig. Yeah, they're both pitiful.

****

6. Déjà Vu

Hakkai's hands are red with blood and tangled hair. His eyes are wild and animal-wide. A sort of shudder goes through the air as he slowly exhales. Time is slowing down. Clashing weapons sound like clattering tin cans. Across the battlefield, he can hear Dokugakuji shouting, agonized and distant.

"You really shouldn't have done that." Hakkai's voice is soft, creeping upward.

Now Goku has noticed. He snarls, throws himself further into the fight. Slowly, Hakkai stands. Somewhere, the black-robed heretic monk is laughing.

"You idiot, don't youdare lose it now!" Sanzo calls.

Hakkai chuckles. Don't lose it? But he's already lost it all.

****

7. All My Maps Will Only Show Me How To Lose My Way

By the third day they're hopelessly lost, nothing but bundles of raw nerves and friction wounds. Worst of all, they're hungry.

Gojyo pulls Jeep over as darkness approaches. "Lemme take another look at that map."

"Why? You finally learn to read it?" Sanzo rolls his eyes.

Frustrated, Jeep suddenly transforms, dumping them into the dirt. Gojyo brushes off his pants, starts walking away. Goku follows.

"I don't have to put up with this shit," Gojyo informs him, stopping but not turning around.

"Not really," Goku agrees, "But he'd want you to, y'know?"

"I don't know what he'd want!"

"You do so, idiot kappa!"

Gojyo's shoulders slump. Goku's right.

****

8. Retirement Blues

Laundry day at the inn: linens flutter like a line of white flags. Hakkai's pinning up the last sheet when he sees Sanzo climbing the hill. He invites his friend in for tea. They take it on the veranda, overlooking the garden and sea.

"They say that marriages hardly ever survive the death of a child," Hakkai says after a stretch of silence. "And we lost two."

"We weren't married." Sanzo states the obvious.

"Not literally, ha ha."

"Getting senile?"

"I've still a few good years left."

Sanzo reaches for his smokes, but stops with Hakkai's pointed look. "And you wonder why I don't visit more."

****

9. See You Soon

No one can think of what to say as Hakkai cradles the limp little dragon. Goku breaks the silence with a conspicuous sniff.

"Shit," Sanzo growls, "Now how the hell are we gonna get home?"

"Asshole," Gojyo hisses, meaning it more than usual. Meaning it like murder.

"That thing didn't even like you."

"He spoke to me," Hakkai finally says.

"It'll take forever on foot." Sanzo lights a cigarette, pacing.

"In my head, he spoke. It sounded so familiar."

"What'd he say?" Gojyo crouches by Hakkai, bumps shoulders..

"See you soon."

More silence. They wonder how soon.

"Guys," Goku murmurs, golden eyes fixed high. "Do you see--"

Everything goes white.

**10. Seriously, Who Reads That Crap?**

In spite of the pouring rain, Chang'an bustles like it's festival day. Escaping, Banri slogs through the woods, kicks down the door to the house and life that was once half his. Dusty dead silence inside. No electricity, nothing in the fridge or liquor cabinet. The skin mags are undisturbed - the loser didn't tear them up going gay or crazy, at least.

Back in town, Banri sees the headline on a stray newspaper: TRAGIC VICTORY FOR SANZO PARTY.

The picture of the four heroes is lively, though the caption reads 'Found dead....'

"Like I care," he says, kicking it into the gutter.


End file.
